Training During my Holidays

David.973

So, at work this week, I found that most of my team had not received some mandatory training that we were supposed to have been scheduled in for many weeks ago.

Without this training, agents in our call centre's Customer Services department will not be able to take calls after the New Year, which is a big thing. Anyway, training like this is always done on a Saturday at our place, as our campaign finishes at 2pm, leaving the vast majority of the day free for us.

The problem is that I have booked this and next Saturday off, as of a couple months ago.

With this being a problem with scheduling and not mine, as well as it going back a while, could my employer force me to come in on my holiday to do it? And, if not, could they penalise me for not having done it come the New Year?

Undervalued

David.973 wrote: »

So, at work this week, I found that most of my team had not received some mandatory training that we were supposed to have been scheduled in for many weeks ago.

Without this training, agents in our call centre's Customer Services department will not be able to take calls after the New Year, which is a big thing. Anyway, training like this is always done on a Saturday at our place, as our campaign finishes at 2pm, leaving the vast majority of the day free for us.

The problem is that I have booked this and next Saturday off, as of a couple months ago.

With this being a problem with scheduling and not mine, as well as it going back a while, could my employer force me to come in on my holiday to do it? And, if not, could they penalise me for not having done it come the New Year?

Basically yes I'm afraid.

In the absence of a more favourable contractual term an employer can cancel your leave by giving you notice of at least as long as the period of leave you had booked. So, only one days notice in this case!

Here is an article on the subject

http://www.xperthr.co.uk/faq/can-an-employer-cancel-an-employees-booked-period-of-annual-leave/156224/

David.973

The leave I have booked next week is three days (Thurs-Sat).
Does that mean that, if they were to do it next week, they'd have to tell me Monday?

David.973

Actually, just read this:
"An employer must not cancel a period of annual leave if it means that the employee is not able to take his or her full statutory annual leave entitlement in that leave year."
There are no more opportunities for annual leave this year. All are booked.

Takeaway_Addict

David.973 wrote: »

So, at work this week, I found that most of my team had not received some mandatory training that we were supposed to have been scheduled in for many weeks ago.

Without this training, agents in our call centre's Customer Services department will not be able to take calls after the New Year, which is a big thing. Anyway, training like this is always done on a Saturday at our place, as our campaign finishes at 2pm, leaving the vast majority of the day free for us.

The problem is that I have booked this and next Saturday off, as of a couple months ago.

With this being a problem with scheduling and not mine, as well as it going back a while, could my employer force me to come in on my holiday to do it? And, if not, could they penalise me for not having done it come the New Year?

If the training is required for you to do your job then not doing it when give the opportunity could cause you issues. Most employers would probably retrain you at the next possible opportunity but some may make your life difficult.

For example, if you refuse to come in on Saturday and this means that after NYD you cannot do the work I would book you holiday for all those week days until you can do the retraining because otherwise you are doing nothing.

David.973

The training is required, I'm just waiting on a slot, which is almost definitely a Saturday.
The next two Saturdays are down as holidays (although one is a zero hour holiday as, before booking, I didn't realise I wasn't in then).
As above, they cannot cancel next Saturday as there isn't any holiday availability left. I now assume they can either ask me to stay after a midweek shift or come in on a non-holiday day off.

Undervalued

David.973 wrote: »

Actually, just read this:
"An employer must not cancel a period of annual leave if it means that the employee is not able to take his or her full statutory annual leave entitlement in that leave year."
There are no more opportunities for annual leave this year. All are booked.

But they could, presumably, get round this by allowing you to take it at a time when you normally couldn't. Or, possibly, by allowing you to carry leave over when it wouldn't normally be allowed.

Regardless of the technicalities, only you can judge what effect insisting on your rights may have on your long term relationship with your employer.

Brightonsbest_2

IMO, if you are going away, leave was ok'd, you lose money if you don't go, they sack you, imo you'd win in an employment tribunal, but please consult an expert, call ACAS.

paddedjohn

Brightonsbest wrote: »

IMO, if you are going away, leave was ok'd, you lose money if you don't go, they sack you, imo you'd win in an employment tribunal, but please consult an expert, call ACAS.

Expert and ACAS don't belong in the same sentence

NeilCr

paddedjohn wrote: »

Expert and ACAS don't belong in the same sentence

Maybe - maybe not. But, still, better than quite a lot of the advice on this, and other, forums. And it is a known organisation that you can go back to - and, if necessary, complain about.

No redress available if an anonymous poster leads you astray on here